Arena Stage enters two worlds — Shakespeare's arcadia and Hollywood's dream factory — for the premiere of Shakespeare in Hollywood, Ken Ludwig's new comedy about the creation of the Warner Bros. film, "A Midsummer Night's Dream."

Broadway's Alice Ripley (Side Show, The Rocky Horror Show) makes her Arena debut playing a character named Lydia Lansing in the Kyle Donnelly-directed production, launching the 2003-04 season at the DC not for-profit, Sept. 5-Oct. 19. Opening night is Sept. 12.

Ludwig is known for Lend Me a Tenor, Moon Over Buffalo and the books to the musicals, Crazy for You and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

"Shakespeare in Hollywood is the entertaining fusion of Hollywood glitz, classic theatrical productions and Shakespeare's poetry around an event in cinema history – the making of Max Reinhardt's 1935 'A Midsummer Night's Dream,'" according to production notes. "Reinhardt's film featured several legendary stars of American movies: Jimmy Cagney, Dick Powell and Joe E. Brown – all of whom feature prominently as characters in Shakespeare in Hollywood. "This play is about the clash of high culture and popular comedy in America, especially in the world of the movies," Ludwig said in production notes. "It's also about how the imagination is such an important part of all our lives. These themes are set in the world of a 1930s screwball comedy. For me, this production is a dream come true; it's my first time working at Arena Stage, and for that I thank [Arena Stage artistic director] Molly Smith from the bottom of my heart."